Key Stage 4/5 (14-18 Years)

From creating art inspired by their town, to exploring nature, shaping exhibitions and getting hands-on with museum volunteering, young people have been getting stuck in, developing new skills and making their mark on Culture Leicestershire.

Here’s a look at some of the things we’ve been making together…

THEY HELPED SHAPE A MURAL ABOUT WORK

Harborough at Work – Robert Smyth Academy

What does the world of work look like to you? Students at Robert Smyth Academy got involved in creating ideas for a new mural celebrating people and jobs in Harborough.

They explored the town, talked about different types of work and created concept designs and collages to share their ideas. Their idea for using collage became a key part of the final mural, with students getting involved again in the painting and collaging workshops.

The finished artwork brought together ideas from across the community, with the students’ ideas helping shape what it became.

THEY GOT CREATIVE WITH NATURE

Coalville Nature Garden

A Nature Youth Group was set up with students from Maplewell Post-16, who spent 10 weeks exploring how we connect with the natural world.

They got hands-on with everything from nature walks and sun printing to bug hotels, bird feeders, Hapa Zome fabric printing, crafting and garden design.

They also helped think about how their learning could become activities and worksheets for other library users and created a display to share what they had been doing with the local community.

This project showcased the power of learning and sharing skills!

THEY GOT INVOLVED BEHIND THE SCENES

Young Volunteers – Melton Carnegie Museum

Young people have also been getting involved behind the scenes at the museum.

Students from Long Field Spencer Academy volunteered at a museum open day, meeting and greeting visitors, collecting feedback, handing out information, serving refreshments and helping visitors discover more about local history.

But that was just the beginning… They went on to work with the museum on their own heritage project, Make Your Mark.

Volunteering isn’t just helping out. It’s a chance to make something happen.

THEY MADE THEIR MARK ON MELTON

Make Your Mark – Melton Carnegie Museum

What does Melton Mowbray mean to you? This is the question young people from Long Field Spencer Academy were considering while volunteering at Melton Carnegie Museum’s Open Day. This started a new partnership which saw the group worked with creative practitioners to explore their town through art, photography and poetry.

They created work inspired by Melton and helped co-create an exhibition at Melton Carnegie Museum, giving people the chance to see the town through young people’s eyes.

One participant said seeing their artwork on display made them feel “really proud and inspired to do more.”